One of the most requested recipes on the internet is one that faithfully recreates the flagship dish of Asian takeout spot Panda Express. We’re talking about the Orange Chicken, of course. And I’ve found what I think is a pretty good facsimile…
It’s the menu item that brought Panda Express into the big leagues. The one everyone wanted to order. The one they kept running out of. As a result, thousands upon thousands of online chefs have posted their copycat versions of the recipe. And the reviews run the gamut from ‘Bingo!’ to ‘No go…’
Pretty close
Today’s offering gets pretty close to the original Panda Orange Chicken experience, IMHO. For sure, it shows us how to make authentic flour-crusted Asian fried foods, with that magical touch of corn starch. That justifies a stand-alone post all by itself!
But it takes the right sauce to recreate the PE Orange Chicken experience. And the same recipe also includes a primer on how to make perfect Asian sticky glazes. This art, too, could be said to justify a stand-alone post.
Nevertheless – as the CNN talking heads like to say – we have a lot to unpack…
The crust’s the thing…
The flour-and-cornstarch crust is what gives PE Orange Chicken its sought-after crunch – even after being tossed in the glaze.
The secret, as such, is to observe the classic corn starch to flour ratio. It’s 2:1, in favour of cornstarch. Mix them together well to ensure the ratio remains constant throughout the breading process. You need only 2 stops at your breading station – one for the beaten eggs and the other for the starch-flour mixture. Be sure to toss the chicken pieces well in the coating, so they’re evenly covered, and tap off any excess powder. Loose breading compound will come off in the frying process and literally gum-up your oil.
Speaking of which… The coating works best when shallow- or wok-fried. Deep frying is overkill and can ruin the delicate coating. Pan frying, on the other hand, may result in the coating burning before the chicken is cooked through. It’s worth noting that cutting the chicken pieces no larger than 1 in / 2.5 cm at their widest point is important, to ensure even and equal cooking of both the meat and coating.
The sauce is simple…
Your basic Asian glaze – be it orange, classic cherry or whatever, is based on one simple formula. All you need is a base liquid – in today’s case, orange juice – brown sugar, vinegar and a corn starch slurry to thicken it into a glorious sweet, tangy, sticky enrobement… Just be sure to simmer the mix-ture long enough to completely convert the starch, or you’ll have a thin, cloudy glaze.
Given that caveat, I have to add that this process is almost foolproof. The glaze pretty much makes itself. Once you’ve made it a couple of times, you’ll be customizing and adapting the glaze technique to a whole array of applications. It’s an ideal culinary canvas on which to paint the entire spectrum of ‘swavoury’ flavours…
My take
The ingredient list for this one looks long at first glance. But it’s largely inflated with spices and other flavourings. And it’s actually pretty compact for an Asian dish with such complex flavour. You’ll find this dish goes together easily and fairly quickly. The step that takes the longest is actually simmering the fully-assembled dish to finish the glaze and infuse the chicken with subtle orangey notes…
Don’t be intimidated! You’ll be glad you went to a little extra trouble to make this great any-day supper that everyone loves!
~ Maggie J.